AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $33.15, but opened at $29.90. AMERISAFE shares last traded at $30.09, with a volume of 14,694 shares trading hands.

The insurance provider reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.02). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 15.34%. The company had revenue of $80.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.49 million.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 19th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.3%. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.40%.

AMERISAFE News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AMERISAFE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a sizable quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share (annualized yield ~5.5%), supporting income investors and providing a near-term cash-return floor under the stock. Dividend Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported strong premium growth and rising revenues per earnings-call highlights, which suggests top-line momentum that could improve future underwriting leverage if expense trends stabilize. Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q1 earnings call transcript is available for investors wanting detail on underwriting trends, reserve development and management commentary (useful for modeling but not market-moving by itself). Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed on both EPS and revenue: EPS around $0.50 vs. consensus ~ $0.52 and revenue below expectations — management cited higher costs and soft underwriting margins, which pressure near-term profitability. Zacks: Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reaction: Truist lowered its price target from $36 to $34 and maintained a “hold” rating — a modest downward revision that signals caution on near-term earnings leverage. Truist Price Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional and insider activity is mixed but includes large portfolio reductions by some holders (notably Auto-Owners) and insider sales, which can amplify downside if selling continues. QuiverQuant: Institutional/Insider Activity

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMSF. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Citizens Jmp lowered their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 25.9% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 15,386 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $513,000 after acquiring an additional 3,168 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the 1st quarter valued at about $280,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 29.3% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $354,000 after acquiring an additional 2,408 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 10,693 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 57.0% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 13,642 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $523,000 after acquiring an additional 4,952 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $34.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.55. The stock has a market cap of $584.49 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.79 and a beta of 0.31.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

Amerisafe, Inc (NASDAQ: AMSF) is a specialty provider of workers’ compensation insurance products and services in the United States. The company focuses on underwriting and managing workers’ compensation policies for small to mid-sized public and private businesses, particularly in higher-hazard industries such as retail, manufacturing, distribution and wholesale. Through its network of independent agents, Amerisafe delivers tailored coverage solutions that combine robust risk management support with loss prevention programs designed to enhance workplace safety.

In addition to core insurance offerings, Amerisafe provides extensive risk control resources, including safety training, on-site consultations and claims management services.